We’ve heard this song before: As part of the US budget deal, the Federal government is rescinding $2.5 billion in previously authorized transportation spending. That means states are required to return $2.5 billion in unspent transportation funds.
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have discretion on which projects to take funds from. When this happened last year, about 15% of the $2.2 billion returned by the states came from bicycle and walking projects, although these projects made up about 2% of Federal transportation spending last year via Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality (CMAQ) projects.
The US League of American Bicyclists encourages cyclists to contact your governor’s office and let them know how you feel.
The LAB has more information in this rescission FAQ.